Vimeo user aaron_gx is a naughty RC controller, but the footage he caught zooming around and through the blades of wind turbines is breathtaking. One pass was so close, he might have gotten his antenna clipped. This kind of stunt is typically frowned upon in the industry, to the point that the person(s) responsible for aiding him were probably fired, if they were caught. I would never allow such a thing to happen on my watch, but… it’s fun to watch.

File this under Hopefully Shelved Tech, and turn up the volume as you bask in Cold War aviation ideas.

During the Cold War, ekranoplans (Russian: экранопла́н, literally “screen plane”) were sighted for years on the Caspian Sea as huge, fast-moving objects. The name Caspian Sea Monster was given by US intelligence operatives who had spotted the huge vehicle, which looked like an airplane with the outer halves of the wings removed. After the end of the Cold War, the “monster” was revealed to be one of several Soviet military designs meant to fly only a few meters above water, saving energy and staying below enemy radar.

About seventy years ago, this gorgeously preserved Lockheed P-38 Lightning, one of the coolest fighter planes of WWII, went into the drink near Wales. The pilot, Lt Robert Elliott, survived the incident caused by engine failure. Shortly thereafter, however, he disappeared in Tunisia – forever missing in action.

Shifting sands revealed the aircraft, The Maid, in 2007, and it appears remarkably intact. The International Group for Historical Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) is keeping the location secret while they mount a careful recovery effort. Hopefully it hasn’t deteriorated in its salt water home too much, and can find its way to restoration.